DELHI: The body of a DU student, who was supposedly kidnapped on March 22, was found in Dwarka, New Delhi, on Thursday. The local police have arrested the accused, Istiaq, who confessed to killing the 21-year-old student. They met each other through a dating website.
Istiaq allegedly had a fight with the 21-year-old student of Ram Lal Anand College, Ayush Nautiyal. The accused came across Ayush on a dating website after which they met thrice in a span of ten days.
When they met on March 22, they had a fight that complicated. Istiaq allegedly attacked Ayush on the head with a hammer multiple times. When Ayush did not return home till late, his family members tried to reach him but his phone was switched off.
After some time, his family received a WhatsApp message from his phone in which alleged kidnappers demanded a ransom of Rs 50 lakh. The accused had also shared a photo in which Ayush Nautiyal was gagged and his head was bandaged.
His family added, "His clothes had blood stains on them,"
The accused warned the family that if the ransom was not paid, he would kill Nautiyal. Police said that the accused constantly kept changing his location and despite laying a trap for him. Till now he could not be traced.
The family had even arranged Rs 10 lakh for paying the ransom. However, late at night, Ayush's body was found in Dwarka Sector 13 in a drain.
According to the investigation: Ayush had gone to a restaurant in Dwarka Sector 14 with another man on March 22. On the basis of a photograph that the police had procured from a CCTV camera at the restaurant, it was found that the man accompanying him was a former student of a fashion institute.
The accused cooked up the kidnapping story to mislead the police and the family and also to get time to dispose of Nautiyal's body. The accused works with various export houses to provide clothing samples.
According to the Joint Commissioner of Police, New Delhi, Ajay Chaudhary, "the family was with them at every stage of the probe but it was unfortunate that the victim was killed."
